The New York State Bridge Authority began testing the new overnight system last month at the Bear Mountain Bridge, above. Testing began at the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge in August, and the Rip Van Winkle Bridge is next in line to receive the new system.

Switch to automated tolls nears for 3 bridges in region

By Judy Rife

Times Herald-Record

October 01, 2013 - 2:00 AM

HIGHLAND — The New York State Bridge Authority expects to switch to an automated toll-collection system in the overnight hours at its three smallest bridges before the end of the year.

"Right now, we're still trying to work the bugs out," said Joseph Ruggiero, the authority's executive director. "Every transaction is a learning experience for us and our customers, but we're finding people are pretty receptive to dealing with a machine, a reflection, perhaps, of our culture."

Test run for cash customers

The authority began testing the automatic toll-payment machines for cash customers at the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge in August and at the Bear Mountain Bridge last month. The machines will be installed at the Rip Van Winkle Bridge next.

Together, Ruggiero said, the three bridges collect less in tolls between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. or 6 a.m. than it costs the authority to staff their booths. The conversion to the ATPMs will save the authority roughly $500,000 a year, but no toll collectors will lose their jobs. Rather, fewer hours will be available to toll collectors, the overwhelming majority of whom are part-time.

Feedback on the new system

Toll collectors working in the authority's 24/7 command center overnight will be able to monitor the ATPMs via cameras, answer customers' questions via intercoms and operate the toll gates if the system balks. Toll booths will continue to be staffed until the authority is confident the new system is functioning smoothly.

The ATPMs are programmed to accept bills, coins, credit cards and E-ZPass, although dedicated E-ZPass lanes will remain open through the night. Since the authority started offering a discounted toll for E-ZPass — $1.25 versus $1.50 — and selling tags at toll booths, use of E-ZPass has grown to 64 percent from the high 50s last year.

In the first weeks of testing in Kingston, Ruggiero said toll collectors and other staff offered free tolls to customers who were willing to pull over after they used the ATPM to talk about the experience. The feedback, about too far a reach and confusing signs, resulted in moving the machine five or six inches closer to the customer and rewriting instructions for its use.

The authority is monitoring traffic volumes so that ATPM deployment can be customized to each bridge. In Kingston, for example, the trial was suspended during the Dutchess County Fair. At Bear Mountain, the size of the morning rush is likely to dictate a resumption in staffing at 5 a.m.